Egg carton



March 21, 1933. M. E. HASSELL ET AL 1,902,167

EGG CARTON Filed May 20, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Marian E. Hassll M1 jyalderz'nfl. Todd Marb 21, 1933. M. E, HASSELL ET AL 1,902,167

EGG CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 20, 1951 /.3 l lj/\ P 5 5 I 28 /'J K i l6 /8 36 20 I gmentom Marian E. HasseZZ q'rdjfalderz'rz Todd Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- MABIAN' EARLY BASS ELL AND MALVERIN .AIiVO TODD, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, ASSIGEN- OBS OF ONE-THIRD TO STARKE HASSELL, F GREENVIILE, NORTH CAROLINA nee can'ron Application filed May 20, 1981. Serial No. 538,804.

This invention relates to cartons, especially adapted for use in handling and candling Friefly stated, an important object of this invention is to provide a carton having novel means to support the eggs in a manner which not only protects the same against injury, but allows of the expeditious trans-illumination of the eggs for inspection purposes, without the removal of the eggs from the carton to the end that the eggs may be inspected from time to time, particularly before the final purchase thereof without individual handling of the eggs and without breaking 1,5 the seal of the carton.

.A further and equally important object of the invention is to provide an egg carton in which the arrangement of the egg-supporting means is such that the eggs are yieldingly supported in more or less uniformly spaced relation so that air may circulate about the same through the inspection openings with the result that the deterioration that would otherwise take place is avoided.

Another aim is to provide an egg carton which is simple to assemble, ance and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a perspective of the improved carton.

Figure 2 is a perspective of tray embodied in the invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective of a filler bywhich the eggs are held more or less uniformly spaced.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the assembled carton.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 6.

a supporting neat inappear- Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure 5.

In the drawings,.wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 generally designates a container having a bottom wall 6 and upstanding connected side and end walls 8 and 9 respectively. As shown in Figure 1, one of the side walls 8 and more particularly, the rear side wall, has a cover 10 formed integral therewith and adapted to extend over the container 5 to close the same. One edge portion of the cover 10 is provided with a depending flap 12 adapted to be extended into the container. As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the flap 12 is provided with a cut-out portion defining a tab 13, the lower terminal portion of which is formed with a fastening tongue 14. Clearly, the fastening tongue 14 is adapted to be extended through an incision 15 in the adjacent side wall 8 and a seal may be pasted or otherwise secured to the tab 13 and the adjacent portion of the front side of the carton to secure the cover in place.

The tray 16 shown in perspective in Figure 2 is adapted to be snugly positioned within the case 5 and is provided with depending end and edge portions definingribs 18 engaging the bottom 6 and thereby supporting the body of the tray above and in spaced relation to the bottom 6.

a The tray 16 is shown in Figure 2 to be provided with a plurality of'more or less uniformly spaced openings 20 of a diameter sub stantially less than the maximum diameter of ordinary hen eggs to form seats upon which the eggsmay rest. As might otherwise be expressed, the openings 20'- are only great enough in diameter to receive the terminal portions of the eggs so that the eggs are supported above and in spaced relation to the bottom 6 of the tray.

The eggs are held in the positions shown in'Figure 5 by the employment of a filler 26 Q embodying longitudinal and transverse intersections and interlocking partitions 28 and 30. Figure 4 clearly illustrates that the transverse partitions 30 have the terminal portions thereof extended beyond the outer longitudinal partitions 28 while the terminal portions ofthe longitudinal incisions are extended beyond the end partitions 30 to form yieldable protecting elements by which the eggs inclosed Within the carton are effectively guarded against injury. Of course, the entire carton including the filler 26thereof is preferably of a durable and yet yieldable material such as cardboard so that the eggs are protected against injury as a result of the careless handling of the package. It might be added that the arrangement of the egg supporting means, combined with the presence of the openings 36 allows of the free circulation of air about the eggs to avoid the rapid deterioration that would otherwise take ace.

The bottom 6 is provided with a plurality of openings 36 which not only allow of the circulation of air through the carton, but which allow the eggs to be transilluminated in groups, attention in this latter connection being invited to Figure 4 in which each opening 36 is shown to overlap a plurality of the openings or seats 20 thereby allowing of the simultaneous illumination of a predetermined number of eggs. As might otherwise be expressed, the axis of each opening 36 coincides with the axis of an associated circular group ofopenings 20.

It is importat to observe that, in addition to providing for the expeditious transillumination of the eggs, the openings 36 allow the eggs to be manually raised from below so that the eggs may be grasped and completely removed from the carton. That is to say, when it is desired to remove one or more eggs from the carton, it is merely necessary to pass one or more of the fingers of one hand through one of the openings 36 into lifting engagement with the eggs above while the other hand may be employed to completely remove the eggs from the carton.

Although the openings 36 perform the dual purpose of providing for the transillumination of the eggs and allowing the eggs to be manually raised from below, it will be seen that the openings 36 overlap only minor portions of the openings or seats 20 with the result that should the tray 16 be caused to yield as a result of pressure, the nether sides of the eggs will be engaged only with the unbroken portions of the bottom 6. That is to say, should the carton be placed carelessly on a support, the consequent yielding of the tray 16 will result in contact of the nether sides of the eggs with the unbroken portions of the bottom 6 immediately below, this being in' contrast to the direct contact of the eggs with a counter or other hard support were the openings 36 of a greater diameter.

If desired, the tray 16 may be provided between the ends and sides thereof with downwardly struck legs 31 to rest on the unbroken portions of the bottom 6 to cooperate with the flanges 18 in supporting the eggs in spaced relation to the bottom of the carton.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the cover 10 is formed with a longitudinally extending sight opening 40 having sufiicient length and width and positioned to register with all the openings 36 in the bottom of the carton to allow of the effective transillumination of the eggs. The sight opening 40 may be closed by a window 42 of transparent material such, for example, as cellophane having suflicient strength to hold the eggs in place, should the carton be inverted.

Eggs enclosed within the improved carton provides for the expeditious transilluminasupports the eggs in a manner which protects the same against easy injury. For example, the tray 16 supports the eggs in spaced relat-ionto the'bottom of the carton so that in case the carton of eggs is placed carelessly on a counter or other support no breakage will result.

It is to be understood that the form of invention herewith shown and described is-to .be taken merely as a preferred example of the same, and that such minor changes in arrangement and construction of parts may be made as may remain within the spirit of the invention and scope of what is claimed.

Having thus described our invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a carton for eggs, a body having a bottom and a cover, a tray within the body and having a plurality of openings forming seats for eggs, said bottom being provided with a plurality of openings, each one of which overlaps a predetermined number of the openings in said tray to allow of the transillumination of the eggs in groups.

2. In a carton for eggs, a body having a bottom and a cover, a tray within the body and having a plurality of openings forming seats for eggs, said bottom being provided with a plurality of openings, each one of which overlaps a predetermined number of tion of the same for inspection purposes, but

- seats for eggs, the bottom of the ings for the passage of light.

3. In a carton for eggs, a container having a bottom and a hinged cover, a tray snugly fitted within the container and being provided with angularly extending end and edgeportions defining supports holding the body of the tray above the bottom of the container and in spaced relation thereto, said. tray being provided witha plurality of openings defining seats for eggs, a filler snugly received within said container and being provided 'with intersecting longitudinal and transverse partitions, the bottom of said container being provided with openings substantially greater in diameter than the diameter of said seats and having the axes thereof coinciding with the intersections of certain of said longitudinal and transverse partitions.

4. In a carton for eggs, a container having a bottom and a hinged cover, a tray snugly fitted within the container and being provided with angularly extending end and edge portions defining supports holding the body of the tray above the bottom of the container and in spaced relation thereto, said tray being provided with a plurality of ing seats for eggs, a filler snugly received within said container and being provided with intersecting longitudinal and transverse partitions, the bottom of said container being provided with openings substantially greater in diameter than the diameter of said seats and having the axes thereof coinciding with the intersections of certain of said longitudinal and transverse partitions, said cover being (provided with a window of a length and width to register with all the openings in said bottom.

5. In a carton for eggs, a body having a bottom and a cover, a tray within the carton and being provided with openings defining bod being formed with spaced openings over apping said seats to allow of the transillumination of the eggs and to permit the eggs to be manually raised from below.

6. In a carton for eggs, a body having a bottom and a cover, a tray within the body openings definand having a plurality of openings forming seats for eggs, said bottom being formed with a plurality of openings overlapping only minor portions of said first named openings thereby leaving unbroken portions of said bottom directly beneath the major portions of said seats for contact by eggs, said second named openings constituting a means by which the eggs may be transilluminated and by which the fingers of a human hand may I be engaged with the lower sides of the eggs to raise the eggs.

7. In a carton, a container having a bottom and a cover, a tray within the container and being provided with openings definin seats for eggs, said bottom being provide with spaced sight openings overlapping said seats for the trans-illumination of the eggs, and the said cover having a transparent portion of a length and width to register with all the openings in the bottom.

In testimony tures.

MARIAN EARLY HASSELL. MALVERIN ALVO TODD.

whereof we aflix our signa- 

